Like Father, Like Me

People that know both my father and me

Say that I am more like my mother.

And I do have many of my mother's best qualities...

But I sense a lot of my father in me, as well.

I also admire these qualities in myself.

I'm fixin' to brag, so hold onto your own self-esteem...

My father is a quiet man, a man of few words.

He does not talk about himself unless you ask AND show that you're interested. That's only fair. Who wants to talk about himself when some fool ain't even listening?

I feel the same way.

My father is a brilliant, confident, talented, and humorous man.

I have aspired to be all of these things. Perhaps I'll never reach his level of mastery, but I sure have had a fine role-model to look up to.

My father does not put up with any crap.

God bless him for eternity for teaching me that one.

My father encouraged me to play the guitar (mom already had me hooked on piano) and bought me my first, second, and third guitar. I still play the 2nd (a vintage dreadnought Martin D-35) and 3rd (an Alvarez Yairi Classical). It is because of his interest and support that I was able to teach myself how to play. And I ain't too shabby at it, if I say so myself.

My father brought me up in the Episcopal Church. And as churches go, this one is a good one. It was in these churches all across the United States and Germany, that I learned how to think for myself and develop a belief-system. And while this system has certainly changed and matured over the years, it remains a source of great comfort to me.

My father taught me how to hold my head up.

He taught me how to "open the front door and spit on the world" when I was suffering from post-college aimlessness and depression. This is not to be confused with an anti-episcopalian attitude. This was a lesson I needed to learn at the time.

My father didn't mean to, but he taught me how to beam a stream of bad language at will and whenever necessary.

God bless him for eternity for teaching me that one, too.